Law enforcement agencies and anti-trafficking advocates in Southern California are intensifying efforts to combat human trafficking and exploitation ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, which will bring matches to Los Angeles and related events to San Diego and Tijuana. Authorities warn that large-scale events like the World Cup often attract traffickers seeking to exploit vulnerable individuals, particularly minors, for commercial sex.
San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan emphasized that traffickers view these gatherings as opportunities to profit from enslaved victims. "Unfortunately, it's exactly where the traffickers go—these games to bring these victims who've been enslaved in prostitution," Stephan said.
She noted that the influx of visitors, many traveling without families, creates a market for exploitation. "Knowing that there's going to be a large audience that are males and sometimes they're there without their family, they're alone to watch the game, so an opportunity for them to have the temptation of buying somebody," she added.
Recent operations underscore the threat. In Miami-Dade County, Florida, 12 men were arrested during an undercover human trafficking sting days before FIFA matches were scheduled there.
According to the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office Human Trafficking Task Force, the men traveled to meet what they believed were children aged 13 to 15 for sex. San Diego authorities are adopting a similar approach, focusing enforcement not only on traffickers but also on buyers.
"No buying, no trafficking," said Marisa Ugarte, director of the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, who has worked against human trafficking in San Diego for over two decades. Ugarte stressed that trafficking often occurs in plain sight, with perpetrators using the internet to befriend victims.
"It happens in plain sight because they have already been befriended on the internet," she said. Traffickers frequently lure young people with promises of travel or entertainment, such as attending a soccer game in Mexico.
"It’s so easy to tell a kid or young girl, 'You want to see a game in Mexico? Let’s go to Guadalajara, let’s go to Mexico City, OMG we’re going to have so much fun' and bye, they’re gone," Ugarte explained.
California law has been strengthened to address this issue. District Attorney Stephan highlighted AB 379, which took effect in January 2026, increasing penalties for those who seek to exploit minors.
"Buying a minor will be a felony. And we plan on enforcing it that way.
And a minor includes 16, 17-year-olds; anybody under 18 is a teenager. That's a felony crime," Stephan said.
Over the past week, local and state law enforcement have conducted crackdowns, resulting in over 100 arrests in San Diego County alone. San Diego Police Chief Scott Wahl confirmed that the department's Special Events Unit will collaborate with other agencies during World Cup events, while the vice unit and joint task force will monitor potential trafficking activity.
"It's a top priority for us to address, but when we have these high-scale, high-profile events come to town, a lot of trafficking comes from outside of town, and we want to make sure we’re focusing on human trafficking issues," Chief Wahl said. The San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, comprising local, state, and federal agencies, will also be active during the tournament.
Undercover operations require significant resources but yield critical results. Stephan recalled one operation that recovered 16 individuals, including eight children.
"So it makes, you know, every resource put in there well worth it," she said. Authorities and advocates agree that prevention is the most effective tool against human trafficking.
They urge parents to monitor their children's online activity, know who they are communicating with, and be aware of their whereabouts. Anyone who observes suspicious activity is encouraged to contact law enforcement or the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego.